Campus Sustainability

About this site

This site summarizes the efforts of the University of Nevada, Reno’s Sustainability Committee toward fulfilling the requirements of the American College and University
Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC). University of Nevada, Reno President Milton
Glick signed the ACUPCC in 2007 and initial compliance and reporting was done under the
auspices of the University’s Energy and Environment Committee. In June 2008, President
Glick chartered the Sustainability Committee charging it with ACUPCC activities. The
Committee organized itself into four working groups around the four major areas of the
ACUPCC: energy, transportation, campus life and curriculum. The Sustainability Committee is
a broad‐based committee, including students, faculty, staff and community members. In
addition, each subcommittee reached out into all areas to bring as many voices as possible to
the conversation.

Vision

Energy, economic and environmental issues represent the greatest challenges of this century:
closely coupled to this are the social impacts of addressing these challenges. The University of
Nevada, Reno, in due recognition of its land‐grant status, calls to action and will marshal its
human and physical resources to meet these grand challenges. Many of the world’s most
talented students and academic leaders are poised to assure a brighter, sustainable future.
We call on all segments of the University community—and beyond—to join us in this vital
effort to secure this future.

A Message from the Co-Chairs of the Sustainability Committee

In 2008, the University of Nevada, Reno formed a Sustainability Committee to gather
information and develop a plan for creating a more sustainable campus. This plan is one of
the requirements of the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment,
signed by President Glick. The committee established four working groups comprised of
faculty, staff, students and community members to investigate campus efforts related to
energy, transportation, campus life, and curriculum. Their findings are reflected both in this
overview document and a more detailed plan—with action items—still in development.
For many years, the University has been committed to reducing its energy consumption and
adopting a variety of sustainability practices. Through the efforts of the Sustainability
Committee, the University will identify additional actions to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions. While some of these recommendations may require significant start‐up costs not
currently available, many will simply involve changing individual behavior that can have a
significant cumulative effect (e.g., powering down all computers after work hours, increasing
recycling, turning lights off when not in use, etc.).

Educating faculty, staff and students about how they can make individual contributions to
reducing the carbon footprint of our University is an important component of our
Sustainability Plan. By increasing our focus on sustainability in teaching, we hope to raise the
awareness of this issue on campus and encourage individuals to help create a “greener”
campus.

This plan is just a beginning, but the conversation has started and we hope to continue the
dialog as our University strives to become a model for other college campuses, as well as our
community.

Michael W. Collopy
Assistant Vice President for Research and Executive Director, Academy for the Environment